American Express · Chargeback reason codes
American Express A02 chargeback: No Valid Authorization explained
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American Express reason code A02, No Valid Authorization, means a charge was submitted even though the authorization was declined, reversed or partly reversed, or no valid approval existed. The issuer usually has 120 days to file. Answer with proof that a valid approval was obtained for the full amount, or that the transaction is a type Amex excludes. Never submit a declined charge.
- Category
- Authorization
- Time limit for the bank to file
- Usually 120 days from the network processing date
- Time limit to respond
- 20 days from the Amex chargeback or inquiry in the US (your processor's deadline may be earlier); no reply means a "No Reply" chargeback
- Typical evidence
- Valid approval for the full amount
- Can it be prevented?
- Yes: never submit a declined or reversed authorization
- Who usually wins
- The merchant with a valid approval
What PlatformDTC does
PlatformDTC only completes an order once the processor confirms the payment, and authorizes every subscription renewal before it is charged, so orders never ship on a declined authorization. PlatformDTC answers this kind of dispute with its standard evidence pack built from the order: customer name, email, IP address, billing and shipping address, items bought, carrier, tracking and ship date, the refund policy, and any refund already issued. With "Answer a chargeback automatically" switched on, it sends the response to the bank for you before the deadline.
What it means
The authorization was declined, reversed or partly reversed, and the merchant submitted the charge anyway.
Why customers file it
Forcing a sale after a decline, or capturing after the authorization was reversed.
Evidence that wins
For every Amex code, a credit that directly offsets the disputed charge is also an accepted response.
- Proof a valid approval was obtained for the full amount
- Proof the transaction is an excluded type
How to prevent it
- Never submit a declined, reversed or expired authorization
- Ask for another payment method after a decline
For developers
On Stripe the dispute object arrives with reason "general" and the card network's own code in payment_method_details.card.network_reason_code; listen for charge.dispute.created and read evidence_details.due_by for the deadline.
American Express uses one letter plus two digits for US and Canada merchants; elsewhere it uses four-digit ISO codes, and each letter code sits under one.
Frequently asked questions
- How is A02 different from A08?
- A02 means there was no valid approval at all. A08 means the approval existed but had expired or carried the wrong merchant category code.
- How long does the bank have?
- Usually 120 days from the network processing date.
Sources
Related
- A08 — The charge was submitted more than 7 days after approval, or with a different merchant category code.
- A01 — The amount charged was higher than the amount American Express approved.
- C02 — The Cardmember says a credit you owed them never reached their account.
- C04 — The Cardmember returned or refused the goods and did not get a credit.
- C05 — The Cardmember cancelled the order or service and did not get a credit.
- C08 — The Cardmember says the order never arrived or only part of it did.
- C14 — The Cardmember says they paid for the purchase another way.